2021 Emidio Pepe Montepulciano Branella Red

Emidio Pepe’s Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is produced from century-old vines—acquired in 1981 but originally planted in 1966—located on a 2‐hectare Branella estate characterized by distinct geological zones. The vineyard comprises areas of classic speckled blue clay marls in the northern section and a central sandy zone with lower pH, which together provide deep soils with excellent drainage and enhanced vine penetration. Cultivation emphasizes terroir, with grapes hand‐harvested and destemmed before undergoing a 7–8 day maceration. Fermentation is conducted in cement tanks using native yeasts and a gentle extraction method (with no pumping over), followed by a two‐year maturation period in cement before bottling; in some cases, at least half the production is held in prolonged cellar aging to allow the vintage time to fully express. The 2020 vintage marked the first release of these single‐vineyard expressions (Casa Pepe and Branella), with the Branella label dated 2021, and production limited to one bottle per customer.